Patel cancels flight to visit girlfriend for last-minute White House meeting as frustrations mount: report

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Friday 10 July 2026 22:27 EDT


FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly canceled a planned trip to visit his girlfriend in Chicago as his plane was on the tarmac when frustrated White House officials summoned him to Washington for a meeting.

“Patel was coming (to Chicago) today for a fake office visit for his girlfriend’s country concert this weekend,” a source briefed on the trip told MS Now.

The outlet reported that while the precise reason for the meeting was unclear, Trump administration officials have been growing increasingly “disturbed” by Patel’s recent actions, including his plans to leave town amid the re-escalation of the Iran war and the alleged threats against the president, as well as his Friday morning tweet claiming to own a “gold plated” jet ski.

In a social media post, Patel called the report by MS Now “all false except one thing.” “I was at the White House, true, and the fake news will find out why soon,” he added.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kash-patel-cancel-flight-girlfriend-white-house-fbi-b3013014.html

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It's like he was promised that he could do anything he wanted without repercussions.

[Bayard]

1. I can't believe he's lasted this long

[jeffreyi]

2. What, no n***ie on our dime?

When I was a lowly Fed, such behavior was vehemently forbidden. Would get you fired.

[Botany]

3. So he is flying around on the FBI's Gulf Stream jet on America's dime to go and use his gold plated ....

…. jet ski?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. MS NOW-Kash Patel called to White House on heels of continued questions over his behavior

The embattled FBI director was set to travel to Chicago in the Bureau's jet to see his girlfriend perform at a music festival when he was called in, sources tell MS NOW.

MS NOW EXCLUSIVE: Kash Patel called to White House on heels of continued questions over his behavior

— MS NOW (@ms.now) 2026-07-10T22:27:20.222Z

https://www.ms.now/news/kash-patel-called-to-white-house-on-heels-of-continued-questions-over-his-behavior

FBI Director Kash Patel abruptly cancelled a planned flight Friday to see his girlfriend in Chicago this weekend, after top administration officials frustrated with Patel summoned him to the White House, according to two people with knowledge of the change.

The precise reasons that Patel’s political bosses demanded he cancel his trip and report to the West Wing are unclear, but several people said top Trump deputies were disturbed by a range of actions by Patel. Some found it confounding that the FBI director was leaving town amid the recent revival of the war with Iran and alleged threats against the president’s life, according to a person familiar with efforts to help Patel rebuild trust with the White House. For this article, people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive internal matter.

Others cited two unforced errors by Patel that created bad optics for the Trump administration, the first being his early morning tweet bashing MS NOW for its coverage of his high-flying lifestyle, they said, in which Patel boasted: “my jet ski is gold plated…dumbass.”

The second misstep, the people said, was that extensive reports by MS NOW and other news outlets about taxpayers footing the bill for Patel’s globe-trotting ultimately spurred formal questions from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a critical ally of President Trump’s. .....

Patel cancelled his flight to Chicago just as he was preparing to leave on Friday morning, according to three people briefed on his move. But the trip to Chicago was already stirring anger and controversy inside the FBI, multiple current and former law enforcement officials told MS NOW. He was planning to attend his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins’ performance Saturday at a country music festival held in the parking lot of a major Chicago stadium, the three people said. Patel’s staff had arranged for the director to make an office visit Friday to the Chicago field office to coincide with his trip, according to two other people with knowledge of the director’s schedule.

Several FBI agents complained internally that this office visit was belatedly-added cover to justify Patel flying the director’s jet — which is estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars for such domestic trips — to enjoy a weekend in Chicago with his girlfriend, the people said.